Borehole Alteration of Tubular String to Create and Close Off Openings

ABSTRACT

Plain casing is run for a completion and openings in a desired pattern are added in the borehole. Gamma ray tools or other orientation tools are used to determine depth and orientation of a tool that makes the openings. The openings are created in the borehole in the location and pattern that is desired. The openings can be closed at a later time with a powered tool that inserts an object into the opening and fixates it to the casing to prevent production of undesired fluids. Even after production has started additional openings can be made in the same or connected lateral boreholes to enhance continued production.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is borehole inflow control methods and moreparticularly where openings in the string can be accomplished in placeor closed off to control production or to close off regions where wateror undesired fluids are being produced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most times casing is slotted for access before being run into aborehole. This requires advance planning to properly locate the slottedsegments at the zone of interest. Other access options have been withsliding sleeve valves that can be operated for selective formationaccess or isolation but in this case also the valved segments of thecasing need to be properly located in advance adjacent the zones ofinterest.

One way that casing openings have been made where needed after runningin casing is to use perforating guns that can have multi-directionalcharges for creating perforations into various zones. This method isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,911. This method has uncertainties asto the shape and extent of the openings that are made as well asassociated safety issues in handling explosives. A non-explosivealternative for perforating using ignited material is proposed inWO2016/069305 using thermite, which has its own safety issues inhandling. Tubulars have been hydraulically perforated as described in US2016/0237793 using extendable slips to hold the tool steady duringpunching. Closing operations for existing openings has typically beendone with radially expanding clads to cover a region with multipleopenings that may need to be isolated because an undesirable fluid suchas water is being produced. One such technique is described in U.S. Pat.No. 9,163,468. The openings can be cut into the casing in one or moreplaces and the cutting device can also leave a valve in the opening madeby the cutting device as illustrated in US 2013/0233555. Openings can beplugged with materials that are remotely delivered and set up asdiscussed in US 20160356138.

Existing motor driven sliding sleeve systems that are powered by anexternal power cable can quickly become inoperative if the cable isdamaged when running in the casing. The present invention seeks tointegrate several technologies to allow a tool to be located at desireddepths and orientated in predetermined directions so that at any givenlocation a desired pattern of openings can be made in the tubular wall.Alternatively, if undesired fluids are being produced the device canlocate over existing openings and selectively obstruct them with aconformingly shaped object to close individual openings and if neededadd new openings in different locations. The openings can be mademechanically, with laser or water jet to name a few options. Openingscan be plugged with an inserted object of a conforming shape that isforced into the opening and secured therein. New openings can be made inexisting wells to continue their useful life. Those skilled in the artwill better understand more aspects of the invention from a review ofthe description of the preferred embodiment while recognizing that thefull scope of the invention can be obtained from the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plain casing is run for a completion and openings in a desired patternare added in the borehole. Gamma ray tools or other orientation toolsare used to determine depth and orientation of a tool that makes theopenings. The openings are created in the borehole in the location andpattern that is desired. The openings can be closed at a later time witha powered tool that inserts an object into the opening and fixates it tothe casing to prevent production of undesired fluids. Even afterproduction has started additional openings can be made in the same orconnected lateral boreholes to enhance continued production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1a-1e are a schematic view of the hole maker/filler in severalpositions starting with the run in position and ending with a round holecut and the tool ready to come out of the hole;

FIGS. 2a-2e are a schematic view of the hole maker/filler in severalpositions starting with the run in position and ending with a horizontalquadrilateral opening cut and the tool ready to come out of the hole;

FIGS. 3a-3e are a schematic view of the hole maker/filler in severalpositions starting with the run in position and ending with a verticalquadrilateral opening cut and the tool ready to come out of the hole;

FIG. 4 illustrates a round hole pattern;

FIG. 5 illustrates a horizontal quadrilateral hole pattern;

FIG. 6 illustrates a vertical quadrilateral hole pattern;

FIG. 7 shows a pattern of vertical and horizontal quadrilateral holes;

FIGS. 8a-8e are a schematic view of the hole maker/filler in severalpositions starting with the run in position and ending with a plugfilled horizontal quadrilateral opening plugged and the tool ready tocome out of the hole;

FIG. 9 shows a tractor delivering the tool that can create new openingsor fill in existing openings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1a shows a run in position of an assembly that includes the tool tomake a round opening or a pattern of several round openings at one time,as in FIG. 4, in one trip or to plug one or several openings at a timerun in with orientation tools so that the right depth andcircumferential orientation on a tubular 10 can be accomplished by theassembly 12. FIGS. 8a-8e show a plugging operation. The opening oropenings can be made mechanically by drilling or reaming orhydraulically by extending a punch or penetrating tool or with laser orwater jet to name a few options. A retractable mill is shown in FIGS. 2b-2 d, 3 b-3 d and 4 b-4 d. The assembly 12 can insert plugs 14 in thesame opening 16 that was made earlier if for some reason duringproduction undesired fluids are produced from an identifiable zone.There could be production of water that needs to be cut off, forexample. Alternatively or additionally new holes in different locationsor shapes from those holes made originally can also be created. Theassembly 12 can be configured with multiple heads so that one or moreholes of the same or different shapes can be plugged and one or moreholes of the same or different shapes can be produced in the same tripin the hole. The orientation package that is part of the assembly 12 hasthe capability to position the assembly with precision over an existinghole so that a plug can be delivered into it. The assembly 12 can bepositioned as desired to add new holes into a formation in the same mainbore or in lateral bores. The assembly 12 can be delivered on wirelineor rigid or coiled tubing so that there is negligible risk of damage ascompared to prior systems that depended on power cable located outsidethe casing that could be damaged when running in the casing. The tubularstring 10 is run in with no perforations and the assembly 12 is deployedto put various shapes shown individually in FIGS. 1e-3e and in patternsof one or more shapes in FIGS. 4-7. The shapes can be round, horizontalor vertical quadrilateral or other shapes.

The plugs can be hardenable materials, physical plugs, sleeves that areradially expanded over one or more holes, or lasers that melt theformation behind the hole and flow into the hole and set up to block thehole regardless of shape. The method succeeds because the availablepositioning and orientation technology accurately positions the tool tomake one or more openings in exactly the desired location and converselyby knowing the exact location of the existing holes the pluggingoperation can accurately close existing openings where water or otherundesired fluids are being produced or place new holes in locations thatare known to not have any openings. A tool with a single head for makinga single shape can be repositioned automatically to create a desiredpattern of that very shape. Alternatively the tool can have the abilityto create custom shapes so that a pattern can be created in the tubularwith the same shape or a variety of shapes. Multiple mills can be usedto make discrete shapes or a laser or fluid jet can create the sameshape repeatedly or a variety of shapes as desired. In this manner flowinto the tubular can be balanced with knowledge of the formationpressure at various locations. The tool can make or plug a singleopening at a time or multiple openings or plugs at once. The methodcombines hole making and filling devices that employ known technologyand dovetails the precision location of such tools with positioningtools such as Gamma Ray tools to accurately position the tool for makingthe openings or plugging them. A tractor can also be used to positionthe tool to create openings or to plug them at existing locations, asshown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 shows an optional tractor 18 that delivers a tool 20 where thetool 20 has capabilities of making new openings and being positioned inthe borehole to cover existing openings that were made in a previoustrip. Other delivery modes such as pumping down, for example, are alsocontemplated. The assembly of FIG. 9 can make new openings and fill inold openings in the same trip. In essence a screen substitute can becreated downhole with the tool 20 by making an array of openings topredetermined size and shape. The openings can be created at the desireddepth using instrumentation on tool 20 in conjunction with casing collarlocators. Proximity sensors can also be used of locating the tool 20 andorienting the tool so that the new openings can face in the direction ofthe producing formation. Anchors can selectively extend from the tool 20to stabilize the tool during making new openings or plugging theexisting openings. Imaging or video tools can also be used in thelocating and orienting process. Production measuring tools and sensorsfor well conditions can be part of tool 20 to determine the effect ofmaking or plugging openings in the borehole while the tractor ismaintained in the borehole so that additional openings can be made orfilled in the same trip.

The above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment andmany modifications may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the invention whose scope is to be determined from theliteral and equivalent scope of the claims below:

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A borehole method, comprising: making a firstopening though a surrounding tubular and into an adjacent formation witha tool; making a second opening spaced apart from said first openingthrough the surrounding tubular and into the adjacent formation with thetool in a single trip; moving fluid between the formation and a remotelocation through at least one of said openings.
 13. The method of claim12, comprising: making said second opening without moving said tool. 14.The method of claim 12, comprising: making said second opening aftermaking said first opening by moving said tool.
 15. The method of claim13, comprising: providing multiple opening creating devices on said toolconfigured for making openings while said tool remains stationary. 16.The method of claim 12, comprising: locating, with said tool, said firstor said second opening in a separate trip into the borehole; positioninga plug delivery device on said tool adjacent said first or said secondopening; inserting a plug from said plug delivery device of said toolinto said first or said second opening.
 17. The method of claim 16,comprising: configuring said first and second openings to retain saidplug.
 18. The method of claim 12, comprising: determining in a separatetrip with said tool which of said first or second openings are producingundesirable fluids from the formation; orienting a plug delivery deviceon said tool with a said opening determined to be producing undesirablefluids for insertion of a plug; inserting said plug in said opening. 19.The method of claim 12, comprising: providing an orientation device withsaid tool so that at least one pre-existing opening in the borehole canbe located for insertion of a plug from said tool and said first andsecond said openings can be created in the same trip.
 20. The method ofclaim 12, comprising: making new openings with a retractable millselectively extendable from said tool.
 21. The method of claim 12,comprising: using casing collar locators for locating the predeterminedregion.
 22. The method of claim 12, comprising: measuring the effect ofmaking new openings with a tractor and said tool still in the hole. 23.The method of claim 12, comprising: making said new openings with afluid jet, a laser, a punch or a penetrating tool.
 24. The method ofclaim 18, comprising: making further openings or plugging existingopenings, other than said first or said second openings, as a result ofsaid measuring.
 25. The method of claim 12, comprising: performing saiddelivering with a tractor or by pumping down said tool.
 26. The methodof claim 14, comprising: creating said openings in an identical shape.27. The method of claim 14, comprising: creating said openings indifferent shapes.
 28. The method of claim 14, comprising: creating saidopenings in a repeating pattern.
 29. The method of claim 14, comprising:creating said openings in a random order.
 30. The method of claim 14,comprising: making at least said first and second openings at the sametime with more than one hole making device on said tool.
 31. A boreholemethod, comprising: locating the depth and orientation of at least oneexisting wall opening in a borehole with a tool; positioning a plugdelivery device of said tool in alignment with said at least one wallopening in the borehole; plugging said at least one wall opening with aplug from said delivery device in a single trip.
 32. The method of claim31, comprising: sensing with said tool that said at least one opening isproducing undesired fluids.
 33. The method of claim 31, comprising:performing said locating of said at least one opening for multipleopenings for plugging with said tool.
 34. The method of claim 31,comprising: shaping said at least one opening to retain said plug. 35.The method of claim 31, comprising: making new openings in said one tripwith said tool.